


Can We Get Familiar?

by UtmostCalamity



Series: We Need a Little Magic (KuroKen Week 2020) [3]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Wizards, Animal Transformation, Begging, Cottagecore, Familiars, Fantasy, Fluff, Kenma is a precious little shit and I love him, KuroKen Week, M/M, Magic, Spells & Enchantments, Wizards
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:28:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23676892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UtmostCalamity/pseuds/UtmostCalamity
Summary: “I was thinking,” he said, sagely tone clashing with the expression on his face, “That I need a kiss to make me feel better.”Kenma blinked once. Twice. His ear twitched.Kuroo watched closely, expectantly.
Relationships: Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou
Series: We Need a Little Magic (KuroKen Week 2020) [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1701988
Comments: 14
Kudos: 172
Collections: Kuroken Week 2020





	Can We Get Familiar?

The lazy whirring of cicadas drifted in through the windows, open to let sweet summer air freshen up the little cottage. Open books lay strewn across every available surface in the main room. Their pages fluttered in the breeze, reminiscent of the docile rustling of the swifts roosting in the chimney. A crackling fire provided an increasingly welcome warmth as the sun began sinking toward the horizon, golden pools collecting around lengthening shadows.

Sharp clinking of glass filled the room as Kuroo rifled through the jars in his potions cabinet. He muttered something or other under his breath. Kenma couldn’t be bothered to listen to what he was saying. He was crouched on one of the chairs beside the table, paws tucked tightly under him and ears pressed close to his head as he peered out over the tabletop. 

A beetle, small and shiny, was shuffling over the papers scattered across the table. Kenma’s tail flicked of its own accord, his eyes tracking every twitch of the beetle’s antennae, every shift of its delicate legs. As the insect scuttled ever closer to the perfect position, Kenma shifted back on his haunches. His muscles coiled tight, pressing back against the chair like heavy loaded springs. He rolled his shoulders slowly, adjusted his stance. The beetle moved into place.

Kenma pounced. 

As his paw slapped down over the beetle, his back legs kicked several papers to the floor. Kuroo sighed as he walked past, stooping low to gather the weathered pages and set them back on the table. 

“Please be careful, kitten,” he chided, heading toward the hearth to tend whatever he had brewing in his small cauldron. “Try not to get beetle pieces all over my notes.”

Kenma let out a tiny chuff in response, paying no mind to Kuroo as the beetle squirmed deliciously under his soft toe pads. Keeping the bug pressed firmly to the table, Kenma flopped onto his side, sending a small cloud of dust into the air as he landed on one of the older tomes. He twisted his neck around to watch the tiny motes drift languidly through the aging sunlight, like tiny bubbles rising through the thick amber of honey. 

The beetle pushed futilely against him once more in an attempt to escape. Kenma flicked his gaze back toward his paw, having almost forgotten his quarry. 

Slowly, he lifted his foot away from the table, tucking his claws in and watching as the beetle began scrambling clumsily away. Before it could get too far, Kenma’s other paw shot out, blocking its escape. The bug turned, determined, and walked toward the other edge of the table. 

Kenma’s tail swished through the air as he batted at the beetle, too excited to simply block its path once more. It slid across the table, smacking into one of the many books laid over the aged wood. Kenma leapt to his feet and trotted over yellowed pages. The helpless insect was spinning on its back, legs flailing as it sought purchase on something, anything, to right itself. Its shiny armor was useless to it now, the thinner carapace across its belly entirely exposed to Kenma now. If he wanted to, he could press a single claw through that solid membrane. The crunch would be fantastic. 

But then the hunt would be over, and Kuroo was still too busy with his work to pay Kenma any attention. 

So, Kenma struck the beetle once more. This time it rolled to the edge of the table, landing on its feet before it could fall to the floor. Kenma watched intently, crouched low so that his belly pressed into his feet, as the beetle turned toward the table’s edge. The deep blue plates on its back split in two, lifting away from its thorax. Delicate, translucent wings snapped open and the beetle was suddenly airborne. 

Kenma launched himself after his prey.

Large, warm hands snatched him out of the air. 

The beetle was free. 

Kenma let out a part-disgruntled, part-startled mewl, twisting in Kuroo’s grasp to glare at him.

Kuroo paid no mind to Kenma’s irate stare, holding him close to his chest with one arm and scratching him a little too roughly behind the ears. Kenma could hear his heart racing–something had startled him. 

“Kenma,” Kuroo started, his voice tight, “You need to be more careful.” He gestured at the cauldron he’d taken off the fire to hang on its hook near the end of the table. Kenma had jumped right toward it. “I mean really, how long have you been a familiar? Shouldn’t you know better by now?” 

Kenma avoided Kuroo’s eyes, looking toward the floor as he was lectured. He knew Kuroo was right, but he was still annoyed. His tail slapped angrily into Kuroo’s ribs, his ears pressed down as he started squirming in Kuroo’s hold. 

“Hey, look at me!” Kuroo said, holding Kenma up closer to his face. Kenma narrowed his eyes at Kuroo’s nose. 

“I think I deserve a little kitten kiss as recompense. I did save your life, after all.” 

Kenma bit Kuroo’s jaw. 

He landed delicately on his feet as Kuroo winced and let him go, then trotted off to find another bug. 

\/\/\/\/\/

  
  


Rain drummed quietly against the window panes, cool gray light filtering through the rivulets that slipped down the warped glass. The chill of twilight curled about the windows, but the heat from the stove and the hearth kept the crisp air at bay. Soiled dishes were piled high in the sink and the scraps bin was full to the brim, but the kitchen smelled wonderfully of fresh bread and warmed vanilla. 

Kenma was perched on a stool beside the kitchen counter, swinging his feet absentmindedly while he nibbled at his dessert and watched Kuroo clean up their dinner mess. He lifted his plate and glass of milk obediently as Kuroo swiped a cloth over the counter to clear away the crumbs. 

Kenma hummed in delight when he bit into an apple slice tucked into the spiced dough, the sweet, bright flavor bursting in his mouth. He allowed himself the pleasure of licking sticky filling from his fingertips, eyes fluttering shut as he revelled in the robust taste of cinnamon. 

“Someone looks pleased as a peach,” Kuroo chuckled, glancing over his shoulder at Kenma as he rinsed their dishes. 

Kenma nodded, taking another small bite out of his treat. “It’s good.” 

“Yeah?” Kuroo asked, a self-satisfied smile lifting the corners of his lips. He shook his hands over the sink then dried them on the towel he had tucked into his belt. He crossed the kitchen in just a few strides to stand across the counter from Kenma. He bent at the waist, resting his elbows on the smooth wood and resting his chin in one of his hands. 

“It’s an old family recipe,” Kuroo pointed out, “My mother taught me how to make it.”

“That’s nice.” 

“Mhmm, she’d be glad to see how much you like it.” 

Kenma furrowed his brow, narrowing his eyes at the wizard in front of him. He didn’t like the tone the wizard was taking on. 

“You know,” Kuroo continued, his voice low and teasing, “My mother also told me that this recipe has been used by my family for generations to make people fall in love.”

Kenma rolled his eyes and scoffed, taking another bite while pointedly ignoring Kuroo’s annoying grin. 

Kuroo, whose favorite hobby outside of his magical studies seemed to be pestering his familiar, kept needling. 

“I just think it might be fair, you know, since I made you such a delicious treat, to give me a kiss in return. As a treat. For me.”

Kenma squinted at Kuroo. He picked up his glass of milk and drained it. He placed it back on the counter gently, right by the edge. A flash of worry passed behind Kuroo’s eyes. 

“Kenma, you should move that away from the edge,” he warned, “You might accidentally–”

Staring Kuroo dead in the eye, Kenma flicked his wrist, sending the glass flying to the floor. Kuroo lunged to catch it, but was too slow. It glanced off his fingertips and shattered against the floor. 

Kenma popped the last bite of his pastry into his mouth, then hopped off his stool to go sit beside the fire, leaving Kuroo to whine at the mess on the floor. 

\/\/\/\/\/

Kuroo scanned a line in his spellbook for the sixth consecutive time, the meaning still eluding him. He was tired and frustrated, and no matter how hard he tried it seemed he just couldn’t parse out the correct interpretation. His brain felt like molding bread and weariness tugged at his shoulders. He couldn’t tell if the lethargy encroaching on the corners of his mind was from actually needing to rest or simply frustration at being unable to understand the spell. 

Either way, he wasn’t getting anywhere. 

He exhaled long and slowly through his nose, sitting up to roll the tension out of his shoulders. Draping himself over the back of his chair, he pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes and groaned. He sat like that for a while, watching the little fireworks display behind his eyelids. He then dragged his hands down the sides of his face and clapped them against his cheeks. He needed a break.

He twisted around in his chair, scanning the room behind him. It was a beautiful spring day, so he had opened the windows hours ago to let in the sweet fragrance of all the flowers bursting to life in his garden. Bees flew in drowsy circles over the window box, drunk on nectar and coated in pollen.

Bright sunlight flooded through the windows, warming wide swathes of the floor. Laying in one of the sunspots was Kenma, basking and lazily grooming himself in the golden light. Kuroo propped his chin on one of his hands and watched his familiar for a few moments. When Kenma caught him staring, Kuroo braced his hands on his knees and stood up with a quiet grunt. 

He stretched his arms up high over his head, twisting side to side to loosen up his muscles, sore from bending over his books for so long. He rolled his head side to side, yawned, then strolled over to Kenma. The familiar had continued to groom himself, unbothered, while Kuroo stretched. As the wizard approached him, however, he began to slow the dragging of his tongue over his fur. 

“Hey Kenma,” Kuroo crooned, crouching beside his familiar in the sunlight. The warm rays felt delicious on his side; it wasn’t hard to understand why Kenma spent hours curled up on the floor.

Kenma blinked, then wiped a paw over his cheek a few times.

“I can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong. The new spell my teacher wants me to learn is so confusing.”

Kenma paused in his grooming, paw held still in the air. He tilted his head slightly, as if to ask  _ What do you want me to do about it _ ?

Kuroo wrinkled his nose and twisted his lips in a little pout. 

“I was thinking,” he said, sagely tone clashing with the expression on his face, “That I need a kiss to make me feel better.” 

Kenma blinked once. Twice. His ear twitched.

Kuroo watched closely, expectantly. 

The familiar rolled over with his back to Kuroo, stretching out as long as he could before curling into a tiny ball in the sunshine. 

Kuroo sighed. “Yeah, that works too,” he agreed, sprawling out for a nap in the sun beside his familiar.

\/\/\/\/\/

“Kenma, I have something I want to show you!” Kuroo called out to his familiar. 

Kenma turned from his spot in the windowsill, where he had been quite happily watching a pair of sparrows build a nest. Kuroo was sitting at his desk, gesturing emphatically for Kenma to join him. 

The little cat hopped down from the window and trotted across the room to sit at Kuroo’s feet. He gazed up at his wizard expectantly, curling his tail around his feet. 

“I figured out that spell from the other day,” Kuroo explained, lifting a little paper crane up for Kenma to see. 

Kenma tilted his head, curious. 

“Watch this,” Kuroo said. He muttered a musical string of words under his breath, and the little crane started flapping its wings. Kuroo loosened his grip on the paper bird and it took flight.

Kenma was enthralled. 

He immediately began chasing it around the room, skipping along beneath it. It stayed fairly well out of reach, but every once in a while, following a gentle motion from Kuroo’s fingers, it would dip a bit closer to the floor. Each time, Kenma would launch himself up, swinging wildly in an attempt to grab it out of the air. 

When Kuroo directed it to fly in a loop around the table, Kenma darted under one of the chairs, crouching low in an attempt to stage an ambush. Kuroo only barely managed to stifle his chuckle when Kenma pounced at the crane, which swooped by Kenma’s hiding spot too quickly for him to catch it. 

Kenma let out a frustrated little trill, then ran over to Kuroo’s desk as the wizard guided it back toward himself. The familiar leapt gracefully from the floor onto Kuroo’s knee, then clambered up to his shoulder for a better vantage point. He was practically vibrating with excitement, one of his paws buried in Kuroo’s hair for purchase as the other quivered in the air, eyes glued to the crane while he waited for it to draw near. 

Kuroo tried not to laugh, not wanting to dislodge his playful familiar. Instead, he drew the crane near, setting it on a path that would take it right past Kenma’s face. 

Once it was in reach, Kenma snatched the bird out of the air with both paws. In his excitement, he threw himself off balance and toppled forward into Kuroo’s waiting arms. 

Kuroo finally threw his head back and let himself laugh raucously. “So, did you like that spell?” he asked, gently rubbing Kenma’s back. 

The little familiar purred enthusiastically, batting at the crane held tightly between his teeth. 

“So, can I have a kiss?” Kuroo tapped a finger against his cheek.

Kenma twisted in Kuroo’s arms, letting out a disgruntled chirp as he leapt down onto the floor. He stalked back to his spot in the window, new toy flapping weakly in his mouth. 

Kuroo sighed, settling back in his chair. “Worth a shot.”

\/\/\/\/\/

  
  


Once he washed up the dishes from breakfast, Kuroo headed to his desk to finish writing a report to his teacher. It had been a while since he’d updated him on his progress, and he wanted to hear about his most recent accomplishments in enchantment.

Kenma was settled comfortably on the soft cushion Kuroo had put on the corner of his desk for him, tail and paws tucked neatly beneath him. Kuroo smiled at the little calico as he flopped into his chair. 

“What’s this?” he asked, “I thought I had a cat for a familiar, not a fuzzy loaf of bread.” He reached out and gently booped Kenma’s tiny pink nose. Kenma narrowed his eyes, but couldn’t be bothered to swat at the wizard. He sneezed instead. 

Kuroo clicked his tongue at the grumpy cat, then pulled out his half-written report, a few quill pens, and his inkwell. He re-read the last lines he had written the night before, paused to consider what he needed to include next, then put quill to paper. 

Kuroo loved the scratch of the pen against parchment. He spent a good deal of time making sure his lettering was neat and that each figure he included was drawn carefully and precisely. His teacher always expected the best from him, and he was happy to deliver. He was so absorbed by his work, he almost missed the tiny mewl to his right. 

Kuroo looked up from his letter to find Kenma honed in on the tip of his quill. The familiar’s eyes were wide, pupils blown huge. His tail was no longer tucked beneath him, but rather flicking excitedly over his back. 

“Ohoho, do you like this?” Kuroo asked, wiggling the tip of the feather.

Kenma drew himself up into a crouch, stance wide as he tracked the movement of the pen with an apparent intent to strike. Kuroo, delighted by Kenma’s sudden desire to play, enticed the little cat further by bouncing the quill closer to his face. 

Once the feather was in reach, Kenma smacked out at it violently. Kuroo, not quite prepared for the strength of the attack, found the quill almost ripped out of his grasp. He laughed in his surprise, quickly readjusting his grip so Kenma wouldn’t snatch his pen away. 

Kuroo began twitching the quill about faster, quick enough that Kenma didn’t bother swatting at it anymore, but bouncing it with enough vivacity to keep the cat’s attention. Kuroo became so caught up in watching Kenma’s pretty golden eyes tracking the quill that he didn’t notice the cat shifting back in his stance. Instead, he began dragging the feather playfully across the letter to his teacher, passing it in tight circles by Kenma’s cushion. 

Kenma pounced. 

Kuroo jumped back in surprise, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. Kenma had snatched the quill out of his hand and, in his excitement, knocked over the inkwell. Kuroo looked on in stunned silence for a few moments as spilled ink soaked through his report, bled onto nearby papers, and ran over Kenma’s dainty white paws. 

Kenma, distressed about the ink all over him, started walking around the desk and yowling in dismay. He tracked small circles of black little paw prints all over the desk and swiped at his face. 

Kuroo snapped out of his stupor and grabbed Kenma underneath his thin front legs, lifting him in the air to stop him from making any more of a mess and to stare at him in dread. He had ink all over his belly, his paws were soaked, and black smudges lined his cheeks. 

“Oh my God,” he whispered, horrified, “You’re a mess.” He looked down at the desktop and groaned. It would take him forever to clean up the ink and rewrite his report. 

He looked back to the little familiar dangling before him. His eyes were wide, not quite with fear, but certainly in apprehension for what Kuroo might say next. 

A smirk quirked up the corner of Kuroo’s mouth. 

“Actually, this would be the perfect time for a kiss.” 

Kuroo staggered forward as Kenma shifted into his human form, his new weight throwing the wizard off balance. The familiar was just as messy as he had been in cat form, black ink smudged all over him. When Kuroo didn’t immediately let him go, he swiped at the wizard’s face, gently smacking his cheek. Kuroo looked at him in shock, then watched as he walked out of the cottage (tracking inky footprints  _ all over _ the floor), presumably to go wash up. 

He reached up and touched his cheek, fingers stained black when he drew them away from his face. 

“Really, Kenma?”

  
  


\/\/\/\/\/

Kuroo’s hands shook as he tore open the heavy envelope. He recognized the elaborate seal, and was terrified of what he would find inside. His teacher had warned him to look out for the coming message, but even so he hadn’t been prepared when it was delivered to his cottage.

He pulled out the thick parchment slowly, tossing the envelope aside. His eyes skimmed the page once, twice, three times. He had to be absolutely certain of what it said. A misunderstanding would be devastating for him. Once he was convinced he had the message right, he threw his head back and crowed in delight. 

Kenma, sitting in his favorite spot by the window, whipped his head around to look at the wizard. 

Kuroo ran over to his familiar, waving the letter in the air. “Kenma! Kenma, look!” He held the paper up for Kenma to see, the familiar’s eyes flicking easily across the page despite Kuroo’s shaking. 

“I did it! The King’s Circle of Wizards have invited me to the palace to begin advanced training with them!” Kuroo clutched the summons to his chest and began dancing wildly around the room, unable to contain his joy. 

Kenma’s eyes softened as he watched his wizard make a fool of himself. With a gentle trill, he leapt down from his spot at the window and shifted to his human form. Kuroo, so overcome with glee, didn’t notice Kenma’s approach. 

The smaller boy ducked under Kuroo’s elbow when he twirled through a particularly enthusiastic spin, then reached out to stop him with a hand against his chest. 

Kuroo froze.

“I’m proud of you,” Kenma said with a tiny smile. He pressed up onto the tips of his toes, craning up so he could press a sweet, delicate kiss to Kuroo’s lips. He lingered for a moment, humming softly against the wizard, who could very well be mistaken for a statue. 

Kenma drew away from Kuroo and ran his hands down the wizard’s chest. “I knew you could do it.” He then turned and walked away. 

Kuroo remained where he was, dumbstruck, for another few moments. Then, beaming, he ran after his familiar. 

“Wait, please, I’ve just been given the most prestigious apprenticeship a wizard can get! Don’t you think I deserve a few more?”

**Author's Note:**

> Day Three of KuroKen Week 2020, Five Times, One Time! 
> 
> I had a lot of fun writing this (I like to imagine that Kenma would prefer being in cat form if he had the option, because it probably uses up a lot less energy c:), though it was a little tough because I've never really spent a lot of time around cats lol. Kudos to my best friend, though, who assured me I did just fine. This one's dedicated to her c: Thanks, bug!
> 
> As always, feel free to reach out to me here or on [tumblr](https://utmostcalamity.tumblr.com/)! I'm always happy to talk, and open for any tips/suggestions for future works! I'm trying so hard to get better, so any pointers are welcome c: 
> 
> All my love!  
> Calamity


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